We decided to avoid the main road and instead take the backstreets to bypass the zombies on our way to Chungmuro Station. The narrow alley was lined with half-eaten corpses.0

“Ugh.”0

“They weren’t here when we passed by earlier.”0

It was my first time seeing human corpses up close like this, and I had to fight to keep my stomach from turning. 0

I glanced to my side at Seo Ho-Su, noticing that he kept a straight face, probably trying to hold it together for our sake. When our eyes met, he gave me a small, reassuring smile, as if to say he was fine.3

“Looks like it’s been about four hours.” 0

Ha Hee-Jeong's voice was calm and steady, seemingly desensitized to this kind of violence. She examined the bodies in a detached manner, even estimating their time of death.0

At that moment, I got a glimpse of what her life must have been like in her previous climb.2

I thought she was just a good fighter...0

While she stood there aloofly—surrounded by mangled corpses—I wondered what horrors she could have experienced to become like this. I was lost in thought, feeling a mix of pity and admiration, when our eyes met. As if she could read my mind, she flashed a quick grin. It seemed like she was telling me not to worry about her. 0

I didn’t hear what she said, but her mouth clearly formed the words, “None of your business. You should focus on yourself.” 0

Embarrassed, I quickly looked away, turning my attention to our other teammates. It turned out I wasn’t the only one handling the gore poorly, as Seo Ha-Rin was bent over, dry-heaving. Not planning to leave his daughter to suffer alone, Seo Ho-Su signaled...0